In performing hip surgery it is of the utmost importance to avoid or at least minimize damage to ligaments, tendons, muscles, nerves and other portions of the soft tissue while gaining access to and performing surgical procedures on various portions of bone structure of the hip. Surgical retractors of various forms and shapes have long been used to assist the surgeon in obtaining access to the surgical site by opening the incision and/or retracting those parts of the soft tissue.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,686,972 discloses a combination surgical deflector and drilling guide designed for uncovering the bone to be worked upon with the retractor equipped with a positioner which firmly positions the retractor on the bone and provides a guide for the drill or other medical instruments to be used during surgery.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,955,568 discloses a tool for inserting a prosthetic femoral head into and for removing it from a prosthetic hip socket.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,731,673 is directed to a self-retaining muscle retractor which eliminates the necessity of stripping the bone around its entire periphery thus enabling its use in the hip area and other areas where the underside of the bone cannot be readily stripped. It has a pair of elongated retractor members with bone-engaging portions at their lower ends and having their upper extremities defining lever arms. A brace is pivotally connected on one end to the upper extremity of one of the lever arms and has its free end engagable with latching elements on the other lever arm whereby the bone-engaging portions may be inserted in an incision, engaged on opposite sides of a bone, the lever arms spaced apart and the free end of the brace engaged with a latching element to maintain the incision open.
None of the prior art, however, is specifically designed to provide means for gaining access to and retracting the soft tissue from the hip joint while at the same time providing means for inserting, positioning, opening and anchoring such retractor in position while the surgeon performs surgical procedures.